Partnerships are already improving public
lands

While we take no
exception with the New Mexico State Land Department in awarding the
lease for several tracts of state-owned lands to the Forest
Guardians and Southwest Environmental Center (in compliance with
state law), we are concerned by some of the statements made by John
Horning (HCN, 11/25/96).

Mr. Horning
characterizes the Rio Puerco as the "most grossly overgrazed
watershed in the Southwest," and indicates that its riparian areas
are "trashed." While such incorrect and unsubstantiated statements
make for colorful news reporting, they misrepresent the
situation.

The BLM, a 15 percent landowner in the
entire Rio Puerco watershed, manages approximately 80 percent of
the lands in the headwaters of the Rio Puerco, including some
adjacent to the state lands recently leased by the Forest Guardians
and the Southwest Environmental Center. For the past four years,
the BLM has worked with many others to heal the impaired Rio Puerco
watershed. The results of these efforts have been substantial and
impressive.

Many miles of riparian area have been
fenced, reseeded and recovered. Local residents and ranchers have
worked cooperatively with environmental groups in successful
riparian recovery projects. Livestock operators in the upper
watershed are reducing the impacts of grazing through a variety of
management techniques. During the period of drought we experienced
in New Mexico earlier this year, ranchers in the Rio Puerco
watershed voluntarily suspended grazing on BLM-managed
lands.

The BLM also convened an Interagency Work
Group. Using a solid scientific approach, that group compiles and
analyzes watershed data to support and address best management
practices in the area.

Kevin Bixby, Southwest
Environmental Center, notes in the HCN article that he "would like
to enter into cooperative agreements with ranchers to share
management of fragile riparian areas. Ranchers would get title to
all fences and improvements, and would profit from a healthier
functioning ecosystem ..." We applaud Mr. Bixby's vision and
foresight.

All of us who have witnessed
successful ecosystem conservation and recovery efforts know that
developing a partnership among users, agencies and interest groups
is the only sure way to sustain healthy
lands.

Michael R.
Ford

Albuquerque, New
Mexico

The writer is
Albuquerque district manager of the Bureau of Land
Management.